Propolis culture



Sept. 4, 1951 1.. v. FRANCE 2,566,329

PROPOLIS CULTURE Original Filed April 27, 1946 2 S.heets-Sheet 1 5 N -2 Fly. 1

A {QM Way,

Sept. 4, 1951 L. v. FRANCE 2,566,829

PROPOLIS CULTURE Original Filed April 27, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 filly 11MHWIIMWMIHMMMMMU Fig. 8

INVENTOR,

2-2 of Fig. 1. .similar view, taken on line 3-3 in Fig. 1.

Patented Sept. 4, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROPOLIS CULTURE Lloyd V. France, Platteville, Wis.

6 Claims.

This invention relates to bee culture, and par- ..ticularly to derivation of propolis from bee hives. .Propolis, commonly known as bee glue, is a resinous material collected by bees from trees and plants, and is by them brought to the hive where- ,in they utilize it for sealing cracks and other purposes useful to their operations.

As the bees bring this material in far greater quantities than needed for their useful purpose, it is found scattered all over the hive, wherein it produces ce- .mentation and damage to its severable parts, uncleanliness, misspent labor, and other annoy- .ances to the bee keeper.

Propolis is however highly useful for medicinal and many industrial purposes, and it would be much more valuable to society if it were obtainable in sufficiently large and appurtenances, which will induce the bees to deposit all their surplus propolis thereinto and ,accumulate it for collection by the apiarist, and

will incidentally remedy all the above mentioned disadvantages presently existing in hives.

A further object is to provide a bee hive with the aforesaid equipments, which will be convenfiently and economically manufacturable, saleable at low cost, and conveniently utilizable.

This is a divisional application of my patent application filed April 27, 1946, Serial No. 665,410,

now Patent No. 2,517,419, issued August 1, 1950.

In the accompanying drawings- Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a device utilized in connection with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-section elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 1, taken on line Fig. 3 is a transverse-sectional Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a bee hive equipped with the devices utilized in connection with the invention.

I Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional elevational view of the bee hive shown in Fig. 4, taken on line 5-5 in Fig. 4.

"Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary cross-sectional elevational view of the bee hive shown in Fig. 4, in anlarged scale, taken on line 8-8 in Fig. 4, and i1- lustrating the hive as equipped with the device shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of another modified device as utilized in connection with this invention.

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional elevational view, in an enlarged scale, of the device shown in Fig. 9, taken on line Illlll in Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary cross-sectional elevational view of the bee hive shown in Fig. 4, and illustrates the hive as equipped with the device shown in Figs. 9, 10, this view being in an enlarged scale and taken on line II-Il in Fig. 4.

The device I, Fig. 1, comprises a sash frame 2 having a length and width corresponding to those of a hive body, and said frames are made of wooden mouldings 3, 4 and metallic face mouldings 5. The longer sides 2a of frame 2 are securely joined by transverse moulding 6, which are separated from each other to provide a bee passageway I, and the shorter sides 2b are similarly joined by longitudinally disposed mouldings 8-8, 9-9, the latter being separated by a space I 0, providing an ample bee passageway. Between the moldings 3, 6, 9 are mounted metallic cloth screens II, I2, constituting foraminous sheets that are separated from each other by the mouldings 4, B, 9 to provide an intervening space I3 therebetween, which is substantially less than that of a bee passageway, as illustrated in only a limited number thereof is shown in Fig. 6

for clearness and convenience of illustration. The laths 20 are separated from each other by distances providing spaces 2| therebetween of ample bee passageways, while the space 22 within each lath 20 between its screen-walls 20a is of a width substantially less than that of a bee passageway. The spaces 2| are preferably made to taper downwardly as shown.

The device 23, Figs. 9, 10, comprises a sash frame 24 of similar dimensions to those of de vices I, I I, and made of mouldings 25, 26 joined by transverse mouldings 21. Throughout the frame 24 there is mounted a cloth screen 28 constituting a foraminous sheet, and said frame is secured or maintained adjacent to a wall 29, thereby providing a space 36 between said wall and the screen 28 which is substantially less than a bee passageway, the mouldings 25, 2! serving to maintain this requisite spacing. The screen 28 is preferably provided with a bee passageway Ia, and the wall 29 with a registering passageway rior. space which isv less than .160 inch in height the worker bees will not attempt to enter it, but will 1b, to provide a bee passage for bee escape, or other purposes well known to the apiarist.

In equipping a usual bee hive 3|, Fig. 4, with this invention, the hive comprising a bottom board 32, a rim 33 thereupon, hive bodies 34, and outer cover 35, resort may be had to any one or more of the above described modified devices I, I4, 23. Thus, the device I4 may be laid upon the rim 33 and underlying the lowermost hive body 34, a device I may be interposed between each pair of adjoining hive bodies, and a device 23 may be placed upon the topmost hive body 34 and underneath the outer cover 35.

It is found to be in the nature of the worker bees to continually inspect the entire hive on lookout forany crevices, cracks, or openings, and

propolis for complete sealing, apparently to avoid drafts and preserve the temperature of the inte- Also, if they encounter any passageway proceed to fill up with propolis such spaces, apparently unusable to them, and it is these instincts of the bees which are resorted to in the concept, execution, and carrying out of this invention. 7

In operation-the bees coming through entrance 36 of the hive 3!, Fig. 4, and through hive bodies 34., pass through the passageway spaces 3| of device. M, Figs. 8, 7, 6, as well as through the channels I, I Ii of devices I, Figs. 5, 1, and encounter the screen 28 of device 23, Figs. 10, 9. Between the tops of laths 28 of device I4 and bottoms of comb-frames 37E of hive body 34, Fig. 8, there. is a. wide bee space .38, and there is a similar space 39 between the bottoms of laths 2E! and the bottom board 32. As the bees pass around the. lathe and through the intervening spaces 2|, they encounter the screen walls 22a,

and, thereupon proceed to deposit propolis into the spaces 22 of the laths, reaching thereinto through'the mesh openings of the screen cloth, with the aim of completely filling up. said spaces and sealing up the mesh openings.

Between the screens Ii, I2 of device I, Fig. 5,

and adjoining comb-frames 37 there are wide screen and the wall 29, which as here shownv serves also as the inner cover for the hive 3|. I

In due course, all the devices 23, I 4, become fully filled up and clogged with accumulations of propolis, whereupon they may be taken out of the. hive, the propolis completely removed therefrom, and the cleared and cleaned devices may be thereafter reassembled into the hive for repetition of their functions. The metallic ace mouldings 5, Fig. 2, of devices I, 23 and H of device M, Fig. 6, aid in the separation of the propolis-cemented devices from the hive bodies, and the tapering forms of spaces 2|, Fig. 7, are conducive to the clear falling through of any waste'matter coming downwardly from the hive.

The removal and clearing of the accumulated propolis from the devices I4, I, 23 may be performed by various suitable methods and means that are well known for purposes of removal of resinous materials in dry state from surfaces, as 'byap lication of heat or solvents to the screens II, I2 of device I, the slats 20 of device 6, or screen 28 of device 23. v

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

I. In combination with a bee hive, a device for propolis obtention mountable within the hive comprising a foraminous sheet, a framing for retention of said sheet and its placement in superposition over a wall in the hive and in separation from said wall by a distance of less than a bee space, for inducing the bees to fill said space with propolis, and'said device being removable fromthe hive for clearing it of its accumulated propolis.

,2. In combination with a bee hive, a device for propolis obtention mountable within the hive comprising a foraminous sheet, means for retention of said sheet in superposition over a wall in the hive and in' separation from said wall by a distance of less than a bee space, for in.- ducing the bees to fill said space with propolis, and said device being removable from the hive for clearing it of its accumulated propolis.

3. In combination with a bee hive, a device for propolis obtention mountable within the hive comprising a foraminous sheet, a framing for retention of said sheet and its placement in superposition over a wall in the hive and in separation from said wall by a distance of less than a bee space, for inducing the, bees to fill said space with propolis, said sheet having a channel to permit bee passage therethrough, and said device being removable from the hive for clearing it of its accumulated propolis.

4. In combination with a bee hive, a devi'cefor propolis obtention mountable within the hive comprising a foraminous sheet, means for retention, of said. sheet in superpositionv over a wall in the hive. and in separation from said wall by a, distance of less than a bee space, for inducing the bees to fill said space with propolis, said' sheet having a channel to. permit bee passage therethrough, and said device being removable from the hive for clearing it of its accumulated propolis.

5. In combination with a bee hive, a device for propolis obtention mountable within the hive comprising a. foraminous sheet, a framing for retention of said sheet and its placement in super.- position over a wall in the hive and in separation from said wall by a distance of less than a bee space, for inducing the bees to fill said. space with propolis, said sheet having a channel. to permit bee passage therethrough, said wall having a channel in registry with said other channel to permit bee passage therethrough, and said device being removable from the hive for clearing it of its accumulated propolis.

6. In combination with a bee hive, a device for propolis obitention mountable within the, hive comprising a foraminous, sheet, means for retention of said sheet in superposition over a Wall in the hive and in separation from said wall by a distance of less than a bee space, for inducing the bees to. fill said space with propolis, said sheet having a channel to permit bee passage therethrough, said wall. having a channel in registry with said other channel to permit bee passage therethrough, and said device being removable from the hive for clearing it ofits accumulated propolis.

No references cited. 

